Emily West Morgan, Yellow Rose of Texas?

The lyrics to a song popular in the 19th century and again due to a television show in the 1950's refer to a person, not a flower. The story of “The Yellow Rose of Texas” begins in 1830 with James Morgan, Philadelphia entrepreneur, moving to Mexico. His plan was to capitalize on cheap land and business opportunities.

Fully aware of the Mexican government's stance against enslavement, Morgan renamed his Pennsylvania slaves as 99-year indentured servants. In 1835 while adding to his labor pool Morgan recruited help from New York including a young mixed race woman named Emily West who may have been from Bermuda. Indentured servants often took the last name of their employer so she became Emily Rose Morgan.

The war for Texas' independence from Mexico was fully engaged by the following year and was led by General Sam Houston. James Morgan's successful new settlement named New Washington was strategically located near the mouth of the San Jacinto River. As a loyal supporter for the land to belong to the United States, he freely gave food and supplies to Houston's men. One particularly strategic parcel of land named Morgan's Point extended into San Jacinto Bay where flatboats were loaded with supplies for Houston’s army.

In March of 1836, James Morgan was appointed a Colonel in the American army and assigned to the Port of Galveston. He left Emily in charge of loading the flatboats and overseeing the settlement. By April, Morgan's vast holdings were mostly deserted when Santa Anna's army appeared and took control. Known for his womanizing, Santa Ana took Emily as his personal spoil of war. Since she was an indentured servant, he did not feel the need to engage in any elaborate subterfuge to disguise his intentions. He once arranged a mock wedding to convince the mother of a young girl his intentions were honorable as opposed to what we now refer to as statutory rape.

Along with Emily, Santa Ana captured another mixed race indentured servant at New Washington named Turner who he tried to convince to lead scouts to Houston's camp. Emily told Turner to escape and inform the "Texian" army of the Mexican general's location and plans. When Houston heard the news from Turner, he was able to move his troops within visual range of the Mexican general's camp.

On the morning of April 21, 1836 Houston reportedly climbed a tree to spy into the Mexican camp and upon seeing the lovely Emily waiting on the general remarked "hope that slave girl makes him [Santa Anna] neglect his business and keeps him in bed all day". That afternoon, the Mexican army was caught completely by surprise with Santa Anna literally caught with his pants down.

Emily West Morgan survived the battle and made her way back to New Washington. Two days later, James Morgan returned from Galveston. One version of the story reports that when Emily told him of Santa Ana's arrival and what she and Turner had done, he cancelled her indenture and provided her with means to return to New York. Another version of the story has Emily joining the employ of Isaac Moreland of San Jacinto who sponsored her return to New York in 1837. Whether she made it all the way back to New York or settled somewhere in between is lost to history.

We do know James Morgan recognized that Emily's actions were heroic. He told people she saved New Washington by alerting Gen. Houston and wrote of it in his journals. The lyrics of the popular song Yellow Rose of Texas that would be sung by marching soldiers during the Civil War and settlers traveling westward were based on these journals. The original lyrics spoke of a "darky".

To this day, the actions of the young woman from the northeast are still reverently commemorated by the members of the Knights of the Yellow Rose of Texas each April 21 at San Jacinto.